Echo
by Secret Affiliate
Summary: Amon::Robin. A month after the collapse of the Factory, SOLOMON tracks down Amon and Robin only to offer them their old jobs at the STNJ. They accept the offer, but was it a mistake?
1. Shadows and Questions

Chapter 1 – Shadows and Questions  
  
Robin held back a sigh as she let her gaze drift out the window to the stormy grey sky. As she watched, a few drops of rain fell with small taps on the glass before the downpour began.  
  
"Robin."  
  
She wrenched her eyes away from the growing storm and glanced at Amon. He stood behind her expectantly, cold as ever. She frowned slightly. "Yes?"  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked, seeming agitated. He had every right to be agitated. It had been three weeks since Solomon had tracked Robin and Amon down, offering them their jobs back as the STN-J. Both Robin and Amon had agreed, though Amon had been cautious, suspicious of their intentions.  
  
"I was just thinking..." Robin murmured. Amon scowled at her disapprovingly.  
"We're already late. We should be at the STN-J building already."  
  
Robin stood. "I wonder if Solomon let Karasuma and the others know that were returning."  
  
Amon turned to leave, speaking to her over his shoulder. "Of course they know. The STN has protocol just like any other organization. You're riding with me."  
  
"I know."  
  
The Raven's Flat appeared to be the same building, but Robin shivered as she followed Amon inside. She didn't need to speak to Karasuma and Michael to realize how much the STN-J building had changed. But perhaps it was only the people working there who were different.  
  
Robin felt a small, stubborn bubble of excitement rise in her chest as she and Amon reached the elevator. Though the ride up to the office floor was silent, Robin was all too aware of Amon watching her. "What?"  
  
"What are you so nervous about?"  
  
Robin shrugged. "It feels different here."  
  
"I know what you mean."  
  
Robin looked up at Amon in surprise. "Did you just agree with me?"  
  
Amon fixed her with a deadpan stare as the elevator door opened. He left Robin staring after him as he walked quickly to the STN-J office. Robin almost had to jog to keep up with his long strides. She opened her mouth to say something to Amon, but, instead, she found herself gasping for breath, caught in Sakaki's arms. He spun her around once and set her down. Robin stumbled slightly and scowled at Sakaki. He smiled innocently. "It's nice to have Little Robin back."  
  
Robin fought a smile at the reminder of her beginning days at the STN- J. She spotted Karasuma and Doujima smiling at her from their respective seats behind Michael, who hadn't even noticed her come in. Robin could hear his music from all the way across the room. Michael was hunched over slightly, typing on his laptop as usual. Robin smiled mischievously and made sure he couldn't see her as she moved across the room to sit right behind him, between Doujima and Karasuma. Doujima, ever the blonde, giggled slightly.  
  
"I'm trying to work, you two," Michael muttered. Robin tapped him gently on the shoulder and smiled as Michael groaned and turned around, obviously peeved at being interrupted.  
  
"Hi, Michael," Robin said. Michael froze when he saw her. Then he smiled.  
  
"Nice to see you're back. I'm guessing the icicle is back, too." He jumped when he heard the "icicle" in question behind him.  
  
"Yes, I'm back. I don't know if I appreciate the nickname, though."  
  
"Oh, lighten up, Amon," Doujima said, standing up from her seat. "This is just supposed to be a nice morning before we get down to business."  
  
"What?" Robin asked, raising her eyebrows. "No down time?"  
  
Karasuma followed Doujima's lead and stood. "Sorry if your time away from the STN-J was less than relaxing, but we have a few major problems to deal with." Karasuma sent Amon a pointed glance. "You two came back at a good time. Perhaps too good."  
  
"We've had a few security problems recently. Apparently, a small group of witches has gotten tired of hiding from the hunters and getting picked off one by one. They've gone on the offensive. We were attacked three days ago, and we managed to catch one of the attackers." Michael took a deep breath and launched into the rest of the explanation. "We managed to get a few names out of him, and with the help of an outside source, we managed to track down the rest of the group. Three of them are staying in an apartment near here, but we won't go after them – we don't want to bring the hornet's nest down on our heads.  
  
"There are five available hunters now, and we were lucky enough to keep access to the Orbo. We should be able to go after the main group. They've taken up shop not too far away from our source's law firm. From what we've seen, there are eight of them either staying there or coming there regularly. All eight of them should be there tomorrow night. That's when the hunt will begin. Until then, sit back, relax, and make sure to don't do anything to bring the witches and the STN down on top of us."  
  
Robin stopped Michael from ending the meeting so quickly. "When has there ever been so many witches working together at once? Witches don't usually work in groups of more than three or four. You're saying that there are at least thirteen of them working together to attack the STN-J?"  
  
Sakaki stood. "Apparently they decided that they'd rather stick together against the witch hunters than be hunted down one by one. Is that so surprising?"  
  
Robin and Amon were the only ones who remained seated as the others left to enter the main office. "Yes," Robin murmured. "It is."  
  
"What are you going to do until tomorrow night?"  
  
Robin looked up, stunned by Amon's sudden interest in her business outside the office. "I'm really not sure. I thought I might stay here, and catch up with Michael. But that would be tonight. I don't have anything else to do. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Would you be interested in coming with me?"  
  
Robin looked at him strangely. "It depends on where you happen to be going."  
"I thought I'd check out the area we're supposed to be hunting tomorrow. Then we could check out that unnamed source, even though I'm pretty sure I already know who it is."  
  
Robin gave him a small smile. "Do you do anything that doesn't have something to do with a hunt, Amon?"  
  
Amon looked at her uncomprehendingly. "Like what?"  
  
"I mean something like dinner at Harry's, or a walk in the park. Have you even been somewhere besides Harry's, and wherever we went on the hunts?"  
  
Amon's silence answered Robin's question, and she laughed. "Do you want to see what it's like to forget about your job for once?"  
  
Amon stood abruptly. "No."  
  
"It was only a suggestion..." Robin murmured as he swiftly exited the office. "Am I still invited?" she called.  
  
Amon stopped and looked back at her. "Only if you hurry. And stick to business, would you? It's hard to have a kid along for the ride even if you aren't acting like Doujima." He turned away before the hurt look crossed Robin's face.  
  
"I'm not a kid..." she muttered, following him to the elevator.  
  
AMON POV  
  
Amon almost smiled when he reached the address Michael had said belonged to the so-called "source" who had done much of the STN-J's investigative work for them. He glanced at Robin, about to say something to her, but he noticed the miserable expression on her face. "What is it?"  
  
The expression vanished, replaced by an eager look. "Yes?"  
  
Amon frowned. "I asked you what's wrong? You looked like you were about to cry."  
  
"Oh. It's nothing." She glanced out the car window, and her eyes widened as she realized that they were at Nagira's apartment. "Why are we here? We already know this area."  
  
"I had to make sure. Well, there doesn't seem to be any investigating left to do." Amon frowned, disappointed. Robin's words still echoed irritatingly in his head. Do you want to see what it's like to forget about your job for once?  
  
"Do you want to go somewhere?" he asked hesitantly. He regretted the words the moment they were out of his mouth.  
  
Robin looked over at him in surprise. "That depends. What did you have in mind? Something with the others?"  
  
"No. Just the two of us. They don't have to know we aren't working on the case."  
Robin laughed. "Am I a bad influence?"  
  
A look crossed Amon's face that could almost be mistaken for a smile. "Definitely."  
  
Harry's was empty when Robin and Amon walked in.  
  
"I don't usually see you two in here together. Is there something going on that I should know about?"  
  
Amon simply shook his head. "We're just taking a break."  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I've never known you to take a break from an investigation. What can I get you two?"  
  
After Harry's, Robin convinced Amon to come to the park where she had first used her glasses on a hunt. Amon hardly recognized the park. He had only been there once, in the middle of the winter. Though it was raining, he found it beautiful. The same way he thought Robin was beautiful. He glanced at Robin out of the corner of his eye, and saw once again the misery he has noticed in the car before.  
  
"Why are you always so miserable?"  
  
Robin didn't hide her pain this time. "I'd really rather not talk about it."  
  
"I know how you feel."  
  
"How can you?"  
  
"You have secrets, same as I do. Painful secrets that you don't want to burden anyone else with. But they're tearing you apart. Memories."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
Amon smiled. A real smile. A sad smile. "Because...I'm the same way."  
  
A/N: Hmmm...I thought the dialogue was a little awkward. Well, review and tell me what you think. I'm trying to keep these guys in character, but I think I'm stretching it a teeny-weeny bit. Well, anyway, this is just a trial run, I might rewrite the chappie, so tell me wut you think. REVIEW!!!!!! I DEMAND YOU REVIEW!! Lol. Seriously though, I will luv you all 4ever if you review my story! 


	2. Hopes and Changes

A/N: Thanks to all the people who reviewed! Your reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy, and they make me want to update sooner! So, here I am, updating again, just a couple of days after I wrote the first chapter. Ok, I just wanted to point something out before I get back to the story...  
  
Someone reviewed and said that Robin wouldn't go back to the STN-J, but I guess that's not how I think. Yeah, she had Amon with her, but he didn't have a clue what to do after hearing that Robin was the Eve of witches and the witches' hope. I would think that even after hearing all that she found out, she would, at her age, still want to go back to the STN-J where she knows what to expect (or thinks she knows).  
  
I have a question, too, and I'm sorry for babbling on and not getting back to the story. Jeez, I hope people are still reading this...Anyway, my question: I don't think I'm very good at writing action scenes, but there's a scene I started writing that is actually really important. Should I write the scene and put it up here, or should I just skip ahead and fill in the blanks with flashbacks? Tell me WHEN (not IF) you review!! Lol. Well, I'll get back to the story, I hope you enjoy!  
  
Chapter 2 – Hopes and Changes  
  
Amon smiled. A real smile. A sad smile. "Because...I'm the same way."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Robin looked at him in bewilderment. "What do you mean?"  
  
Amon's smile vanished. "You're full of questions, aren't you?" He looked up at the sky for a moment, just before it began to rain more heavily, sending the few people who had been at the park scampering back to their homes and cars. Amon turned abruptly and began to head back to the car. Robin hesitated, staring at his retreating back for a moment before following him.  
  
Robin sat down in the passenger seat of the car. Amon was sitting stiffly in the driver's seat with his hands on the steering wheel.  
  
Robin watched him for a moment before speaking. "When did we ever get close enough for you to worry about how I feel whenever you're not watching?"  
  
Amon glanced at her. "I've always worried. This is just the first time I've said something about it."  
  
"It's also the first time you've admitted that we have something in common."  
  
Amon turned to face Robin, slightly surprised at her words. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth. Amon met her eyes, solemn as ever. He leaned closer to her, and Robin's smile faded.  
  
Amon raised his hand to her cheek, caressing her jawline with his fingers. Robin felt a blush color her cheeks a light pink as she realized how close Amon was to her.  
  
Their noses were almost touching, and Robin heard her own heartbeat in her ears as Amon closed the last inches between them, brushing his lips against hers in a light kiss. Amon's hand moved from Robin's face to the back of her neck, pulling her into the kiss.  
  
Robin pulled away, avoiding Amon's eyes as she bit her lip nervously.  
  
"Robin?" Amon said awkwardly. "Are you all right?" He paused for a moment. "I shouldn't have done that."  
  
Robin shook her head. "No, it's not that. It's just – you surprised me, that's all." Both of them were silent for a moment. Amon moved away from Robin and started the car. He sat there, with the engine running, watching Robin. "I'm fine," she said, looking at him pointedly.  
  
A frown creased his normally neutral features. "No. You're not."  
  
"I just need some time. I need to think."  
  
Amon began the drive back to the STN-J building. Robin interrupted his stream of thoughts. "Are you going back to the STN-J?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Robin averted her eyes. "Could you drop me off back at the apartment? Just tell Michael I wasn't feeling well and that I'll talk to him tonight."  
  
Amon nodded reluctantly.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^  
  
That night, after the rain had stopped, Robin visited the STN-J building after checking to see that Amon was asleep. Michael stopped working on the computer when Robin came into the office.  
  
"I'm guessing you were feeling fine when Amon dropped you off, huh?"  
  
Robin nodded and sat down. "I wouldn't have come, but I need to talk to you even more now."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"It's just Amon. He's been actinc strangely ever since the factory collapse, and today, he..." Robin faltered, and Michael scowled worriedly. "He kissed me."  
  
Michael's eyes widened. "Amon kissed you?"  
  
Robin bit her lip, her only answer in her eyes.  
  
Michael watched Robin for a while. "Are you all right?"  
  
Robin stood angrily, frustration on her face. "Of course I'm all right. Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm fine." She left the office quickly, leaving Michael to brood.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^  
  
When Robin got back to the apartment, Amon was still asleep. She didn't go back to her room to go to bed. Instead, she sat in the same place she had been sitting just that morning. Robin held back a sigh as she let her gaze drift out the window to the pitch black sky. As she watched, a few drops of rain fell with small taps on the glass before the downpour began.  
  
Robin sat alone in the window seat, lost in her thoughts. 'What is going on?'  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Ok, I know that chapter was a lot shorter than the first one, but I promise that I'm going to be updating a lot over the weekend (since tomorrow's Friday! YAY!) So...I'm not too secure about this chapter, so please review and tell me what you think. Oooh...tell me what you think about how Michael fits into all this. I'm not quite sure yet. I think he likes her. It makes sense that he would, since he's only a year older than she is. He probably thinks Amon's taking advantage of her. Hey, whoever reads this, I expect some feedback when I ask questions, so PLEASE REVIEW!!! 


	3. Arguments and Confessions

A/N – I'm actually in the process of writing a couple of one-shot song- fics, and I'll let you people know when I put them up so you can read them if you want to. Just wanted to say that, and thanks for the loads of people who reviewed (it's really not so many, but compared to my other stories...^_^ What can I say?) I hope you all like this chapter, I wrote most of it @ school, when I should have been paying attention (J/K). Well, anyway, on with the story. I don't believe I've put up three chapters in one week. Yes!  
  
Chapter 3 – Arguments and Confessions  
  
When Amon looked into Robin's room the next morinig, he realized that she had never slept in her bed, which was perfectly made. He realized the reason for it a few seconds later when he walked into the living room of the apartment. She was asleep on the couch. Her chin still rested in her palm, and her legs were curled beneath her.  
  
Amon felt like pounding his head into the wall. Instead, he ran his fingers through his hair in one nervous motion. What had he been thinking – why the hell had he kissed her?  
  
Robin shifted in her sleep, letting her head rest on her forearms as she turned her back to Amon. He reached out and tapped Robin on the shoulder, and she rolled over and opened one eye. "Please tell me I didn't sleep all night on the couch..." she muttered.  
  
"You didn't sleep on the couch."  
  
Robin looked at Amon strangely. It sounded as if he was making a joke, but his expression was serious. "We should go now," he said abruptly. Robin nodded distractedly. There was no sign of the Amon who had kissed her the day before. The Amon who had wanted to talk to her.  
  
That Amon had retreated into his usual cold shell. So Robin did the same.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Michael watched Robin and Amon closely when they came into the STN-J main office. He was the only one who noticed that they put plenty of space between them.  
  
To almost everyone else, everything was normal. But he had his own business to attend to – he didn't have the time to get involved, no matter how much he wanted to be.  
  
"That's their problem," he murmured.  
  
"Who's they, and what's their problem?"  
  
Michael jumped at the sound of Doujima;s voice behind him. "I wish you would stop doing that," he snapped.  
  
Doujima frowned in the direction of Amon and Rovbin, who were arguing quietly across the room. "Do you two think those two are acting strangely?"  
  
Michael looked at Doujima in surprise. "Yes. Did you just realize that?"  
  
Doujima nodded solemnly, the smiled. "I bet you know why, huh? Robin tells you everything. It can't hurt to give me just a little hint, can it?"  
  
Michael rolled his eyes and ignored her.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"We don't need to go. We should wait here until the hunt," Robin protested.  
  
Amon didn't seem to be listening. "We don't need to be be here. We've done all we need to do here."  
  
Robin scowled. "you can't stand having nothing to do, can you?"  
  
"You're very perceptive."  
  
"I'll just stay here, then."  
  
"Just come with me."  
  
Robin hesitated at the urgency in his voice. Why was he pressing this? They glared silently at each other until Robin looked away.  
  
"Fine," she muttered. "I'll go."  
  
(A/N: I know they don't normally argue...correction, they NEVER argue. But there's a reason for everything ^_^ )  
  
*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"You're going the wrong way," Robin said softly, watching in confusion as Amon drove pas the intersection where they should have turned.  
  
"I know that. Like you said, we already checked out the area, and it's under surveillance."  
  
Robin shifted uncomfortably. "Then where are we going?"  
  
"Where do you want to go?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Amon glanced at Robin once before turning the car in the general direction of their apartment. "Why have you been acting so strangely?"  
  
"You've got a lot of nerve asking," Robin snapped. She shut her eyes and let her head rest against the window.  
  
"I'm not even sure how you'll react to a hunt after everything you've found out, Robin. It's disconcerting."  
  
Robin opened her eyes, and Amon was slightly stunned to see teats in her eyes. "I don't know any more than you do," she murmured. "I'm more lost than anyone, I think. I'm just confused."  
  
"You'll be fine, you'll deal with it."  
  
"Will I?" Robin wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Because right now, I want to forget everything that's happened and go back to being Robin the hunter."  
  
"Is that why you accepted SOLOMON's offer?"  
  
Robin nodded. "It was probably a bad idea. I just wanted to believe that nothing had changed – that I hadn't changed."  
  
Amon stopped the car in front of their apartment building. "I felt the same thing after my mother Awakened. After they hunted her down. I guess I thought that if I pretended nothing had changed, my mother would walk back through the front door and ask whether I'd eaten, like she always had."  
  
Robin shifted awkwardly. She had never heard Amon reminisce like this, and the fact that less than twenty-four hours ago he had kissed her didn't help.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^  
  
A/N: Sorry for writing such total drabble (I know it was short, but it's an update!) –_ ^ But anywayz, what did you think? I don't like this one very much, but I'll write a better chapter next time. I think it's kind of weird...I have no idea why my dialogue and characterization seem to be coming out so weird. It's driving me nuts!!! ~_~; I don't know why I like writing, but I'm hooked! Well, hope you thought it was decent at least, plz review! 


	4. Memories

Chapter Four – Memories  
  
A/N: I know that the chapter title is pretty self-explanatory, but FYI, it happened in the first days after the Factory collapsed.  
  
Amon was finally awake. The room was definitely not what he had been expecting to see. But then, what had he been expecting to see? Heaven? Hell? He looked around at the lavishly decorated room until he spotted Robin, bent over slightly as she typed on the laptop in the corner. Pain shot through his head when he tried to sit up, and he let out a muffled groan. Robin stopped typing and turned to him.  
  
"You're awake? You should have said something. You probably shouldn't be trying to get up yet, you'll still be sore."  
  
Amon simply stared around him in confusion. "How did I get here? What happened at the Factory?"  
  
Robin looked away, biting her lip. "It collapsed on us almost a week ago. We got very lucky."  
  
"But what is this place?"  
  
"I have an old friend – a doctor here. You've been sleeping for a while, but for most of the time you were in kind of a stupor. You had a pretty high fever."  
  
Amon studied her relieved expression. "What was wrong with me?"  
  
"You had a cut on your arm and a bad concussion. That's why I'm fine now. I woke up with you on top of me. I had to burn the way out."  
  
Amon closed his eyes, slightly abashed at the thought of Robin being the one to save him, and not the other way around. He heard a moment of silence before Robin turned back to her typing.  
  
Robin's doctor friend was quite a few years younger than Amon had expected. The man couldn't be much older than himself, which made Amon wonder just what kind of a doctor the man was.  
  
"You just need to rest for a while, so you and Robin will be here until you can move again," he said. Amon looked at him blankly.  
  
"I can move just fine."  
  
The doctor looked at him reproachfully. "Not without reopening your arm. Your head might be fine, but it your arm gets infected again, Robin can't do a thing to help you."  
  
Amon stiffened at the doctor's reference to the fact that he and Robin would be together after this. What had Robin told him? "Who are you?"  
  
The doctor looked at him strangely. "I thought Robin told you."  
  
"She didn't tell me a name."  
  
"Andrew Reiker."  
  
Amon nodded. "Amon."  
  
"Just Amon? What about a last name?"  
  
"Not since I joined the STN-J."  
  
"And how long ago was that?"  
  
"Why does it matter?"  
  
Reiker put up his hands. "Forget I asked."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^Three days later...*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Amon donned his coat for the first time in days. He watched Robin and Andrew Reiker out of the corner of his eye. Robin laughed at something Andrew said and shook her head sadly, gesturing to Amon. Andrew grabbed her hand gently and put it to his cheek. He slipped an arm around her waist.  
  
Amon turned to face them, filled with an emotion he couldn't remember feeling before: jealousy. Robin pushed Andrew away, and looked at Amon expectantly. Amon nodded at her, and turned to leave, knowing Robin would follow him. But the scene between Robin and Andrew burned in the back of his mind.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^(A/N: this is sometime before they rejoined the STN-J)  
  
The phone rang at nearly midnight. Robin answered the call even though it had woken up Amon as well.  
  
"Hello? Andrew...it's late...you know how Amon is...make this quick...what—you can't drag us into this...you know how Amon is..."  
  
Amon stood behind Robin as she listened to Andrew for a second. Robin's voice softened. "I'll do whatever I can...don't call me this late again. Good night." She hung up the phone with a defeated expression.  
  
"What did he want?" Amon asked. Robin ignored him. She sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands. "Why do I always let him tell me what to do?" she murmured. "He's going to get me killed."  
  
Amon sat down beside her. "That doesn't answer my question."  
  
Robin looked at him sadly. "do you remember him mention anything about the Twelve?" Amon nodded. "Well, the Twelve are the leaders of the only real resistance against SOLOMON. They're just powerful witches who help weaker witches hide. SOLOMON only found about them recently.  
  
"They've been looking for a certain Seed. A girl, they don't know much about her except for the fact that she exists. There were two experiments. Project Robin and another one. SOLOMON knew about it, though. They were going to use her against me before Father Juliano took me in.  
  
"They abandoned her the moment they had me. Now they've lost her. The Twelve and SOLOMON are both looking for her. Andrew and a few of his allies don't think that either side should have her. Since he took us in when I showed up on his doorstep, I owe him a favor. A big one. The STN raided his place because of us."  
  
Amon narrowed his eyes. "That's a lot for him to ask."  
  
"No, it's not. I asked him to stay and help you even after he offered to take me to Italy. He wanted me to leave you to take care of yourself and disappear with him in Italy, but I wouldn't go anywhere without you."  
  
Amon looked at her curiously. "Why didn't you leave?"  
  
Robin stiffened and stood abruptly. "What does it matter? It was my decision."  
  
A/N: Sorry, I know, it was a terrible chapter...and short, I know. I had to give a little bit of the backstory that I have in my head that no one else knows. I hope this explains at least a little bit of what's going on, cuz I'm jumping right back into the story when I post the next chapter. I'm just trying my hand at action, which I've never actually done before (so give me a break if it sucks, and let me know if it's all right!) 


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